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Essentials: Science of Mindsets for Health & Performance | Dr. Alia Crum
Sep 4, 2025 · 39 min
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Alia Crum, PhD, professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Mind & Body Lab.
Dr. Crum explains that our mindsets—for example, what we believe about stress, exercise and the food we eat—shape how we feel, behave and even how our bodies respond. We discuss studies showing simply believing a food is indulgent can shift satiety hormones and that viewing your daily activity as real exercise can improve weight loss and health markers. We also discuss how to reframe stress so it becomes a tool for growth and improved performance.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(00:00) Alia Crum
(00:20) Mindset, Core Beliefs; Examples of Mindset
(04:56) Mindset Shapes Body's Response, Placebo Effects, Tool: Mindset for Weight Loss
(10:18) Sponsor: Function
(11:58) Different Diets & Mindset
(13:32) Nocebo Effect
(14:26) Exercise Mindsets, Weight Loss & Health Benefits
(17:11) Stress, Tool: Stress is Enhancing Mindset, Mental & Physical Benefits
(24:24) Mindset, Stress, Motivation & Physiology
(26:18) Sponsors: AG1 & Carbon
(29:21) Stress, Mindset & Hormones
(30:53) Mindsets as Portals to Unconscious, Tool: Stress Mindset Awareness
(32:28) Leverage Stress, Tool: Adopt a Stress is Enhancing Mindset
(35:31) Mindsets Matter, Athletics
(37:19) Resources, Toolkits & Acknowledgements
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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